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No. 03, The districts · 05 of 11

The Mellah: Marrakech's old Jewish quarter and spice market

The Mellah is the old Jewish quarter of Marrakech, beside the Bahia palace in the southeast of the medina. Visit the Lazama synagogue, still opened to visitors by a caretaker and closed on the Sabbath, and the covered market selling spices, olives and preserved lemons. Enter from Place des Ferblantiers. Mid-morning is best.

Best timeMid-morning

Eat here
The covered market's spice cones, olives and preserved lemons
Don't miss
Lazama synagogue (Slat al-Azama)
Get my written quoteQuote for: the medina and souks walk
A rooftop restaurant by day, cushions and parasols over the rooftops
A medina rooftop · by day

The Mellah at a glance

Best time
Mid-morning, when the market is busy; the synagogue keeps its own hours (closed on the Sabbath).
What it feels like
The old Jewish quarter: narrow lanes, balconies over the street, the covered spice market, Place des Ferblantiers and the Lazama synagogue, still opened to visitors by its caretaker.
Eat here
The covered market's spice cones, olives and preserved lemons; street snacks on Place des Ferblantiers.
See
  • Lazama synagogue (Slat al-Azama)
  • The Mellah covered market
  • Place des Ferblantiers, the tinsmiths' square
  • The Jewish cemetery

The Lazama synagogue

The Lazama synagogue, also called Slat al-Azama, is dated to about 1492 or later, linked to Jews who arrived after the expulsion from Spain. It is the Mellah synagogue most often open to visitors; a caretaker lets people in, and it closes on the Sabbath.

The Bahia Palace's great courtyard: marble paving, painted arcades and palms
Bahia Palace, the great courtyard

The covered market

The Mellah's covered market sells spice cones, olives and preserved lemons to neighbourhood cooks. Smell freely and buy small.

A palace garden courtyard with a fountain, trees and carved plaster above the doors
A palace garden courtyard

Getting there

Place des Ferblantiers, the tinsmiths' square, is the main way in. From Jemaa el-Fnaa, walk south along Riad Zitoun. The Bahia palace is next door.

Clay tanjia pots sealed with paper, lined up in a lane
Tanjia pots in a derb

The quarter's past

The Mellah once had many synagogues; today Lazama is the one most often open to visitors. A small Jewish community still lives in the city.

Don't miss

  • Lazama synagogue (Slat al-Azama)
  • The Mellah covered market
  • Place des Ferblantiers, the tinsmiths' square
  • The Jewish cemetery
  • A souk lane hung floor to ceiling with brass and glass lanternsA lantern shop in the souk
  • A lamb and prune tagine scattered with almondsLamb and prune tagine
  • A glass of mint tea on a café tableMint tea at a café on Jemaa el-Fnaa

Worth knowing before you go

  • Ask before photographing people in the Mellah, and in the synagogue follow the caretaker's lead.
  • Herbalist tastings are a sales pitch; 'la, shukran' ends them politely.

See The Mellah with someone who lives here

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Get my written quoteAsk for a quote: the palaces half-day, with the Bahia next door

Questions people ask

Can visitors enter the Lazama synagogue?

Yes, outside the Sabbath. A caretaker opens the door; the entrance is easy to miss, so ask locally.

How do I get to the Mellah from Jemaa el-Fnaa?

Walk south along Riad Zitoun towards the Bahia palace, then enter by Place des Ferblantiers.

Is there a spice market in the Mellah?

Yes, the covered market sells spices, olives and preserved lemons, mostly to local cooks.